


Life After Death

by NethRana



Category: Dragonball Z
Genre: Briefs Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-09
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2017-12-18 04:48:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/875794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NethRana/pseuds/NethRana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Majin Buu is defeated, Vegeta is determined to make his third chance at life his best. This is his and his family's story, set between the end of the Buu Saga and GT. Drama, Romance, Humor, Angst, depending on the chapter...but always Family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Greatest Fear

"Thank you, Goku." Bulma gently hung up the phone, and looked out the kitchen window longingly. She looked up at the stars she and her prince had looked at together so many times before. She sighed. Where are you, Vegeta? After everything we've been through…why won't you come home?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vegeta's muscles screamed at him, but he ignored them. Desperation filled his chest as he forced himself to continue with his pushups. 3012, 3013, 3014… He had almost lost his family, and he would be damned if it was going to happen again. He knew his family wanted him home, not out in the middle of nowhere training. He knew Bulma was worried sick about him, begging him to simply use the gravity room instead. But he couldn't. He couldn't bear to be around them, couldn't stand to even look them in the eyes. He couldn't face them, and so he had escaped here, where he'd been training for the past three days. And he was going to continue training, maybe forever. He had been given yet another chance at life, and he knew he should be taking advantage of it. But his family was too much for him. He told himself it was because he couldn't admit to failing them. But deep down, he knew it was something greater…

He was approaching 4000, when he suddenly felt a great weight on top of him, and collapsed. The minute he heard that obnoxious laugh, he knew who it was. Groaning, Vegeta squirmed underneath him. "Get off of me, Kakarot, you big idiot!" Goku scrambled to his feet.

"Sorry, sorry! I was trying to sense your energy so I could transport here and I guess I was a little too accurate!" he said with a laugh. Vegeta rolled his eyes, getting to his feet.

"What do you want?" he mumbled. His body was screaming at him to sit down. Actually, it was screaming at him to lay down and go to sleep, but he ignored it. Physical pain is a part of life, he reminded himself for about the millionth time in his life. He shuddered when he realized it was Frieza that had told him that. Goku cocked his head to the side.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" he snapped. "Just answer my damn question, so I can get back to my training! Why the hell are you here?" Goku scratched the back of his head and looked down at his feet, lightly nudging a rock with his toe.

"I, um…Well…I wanted to make sure you were doing alright! I hadn't sensed your energy around lately, so I wondered how you were doing…" He looked up and smiled, feigned innocence painted on his face. Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"So the woman sent you here to talk to me?" he growled. Typical, that was just like Bulma! He had shut her out, so she sent the clown out to find him for her! It was infuriating. Goku's eyes widened. Either he was a terrible liar, or Vegeta and Bulma were really in synch with each other! All he could do was nod shamefully. "Well there's no need to worry. I'm fine, I'm training, Bulma and Trunks are alive, all is well." Considering that to be a sufficient answer, Vegeta pushed himself onto his hand for his handstand pushups, ignoring his body's disapproval.

"Vegeta…" The Prince's dark eyes narrowed. He stayed there, perfectly still, and completely upside down. Had it been anyone else, Goku would have laughed. But somehow, even though he was on his hands, Vegeta still managed to look as scary and intimidating as hell. Goku gulped, before continuing. "I'm not allowed to leave unless you come with me," he admitted. Vegeta crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Well that sucks for you then, doesn't it? Since I'm not going back."

"Vegeta, you belong with your family."

"I don't belong anywhere!" he snapped. Goku shook his head.

"Come on, that's not true, and you know it! How can you say that, after everything that's happened?"

"Shut up Kakarot."

"Vegeta…"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"Bulma's worried sick about you! You died for her and Trunks, and the rest of Earth, and now you're trying to back pedal and say you don't belong with them? It doesn't make any sense!" He was started to get mad. How could he be so blind?

"I said shut up!" Goku's eyebrows furrowed as he crossed his arms in front of him, resembling the other Saiyan standing across from him.

"No! I'm not going to leave without you! Your family deserves for you to be home with them!"

"You don't know a damn thing about what my family deserves! My family deserves another idiot to stay with them, not myself." Goku frowned.

"That doesn't make sense, Vege-"

"Well of course it doesn't make sense to you, you idiot! You couldn't possibly understand what it means for me to go back to them! You have no idea how my current state only causes them even more pain!" Now Goku was just confused. His current state?

"I don't understand…"

"I should've stayed dead!" he exploded. "Wouldn't life be better for them both without me? Wouldn't Trunks be better off without an asshole of a Father to disappoint him at every turn!? I wasn't there for the beginning of his life, which I'm sure he resents me for as much as I resent my Father for not being present for the end of mine!" He had lost all control of himself, the emotions he had held for his entire life pouring out of him. "I'm never going to be the Dad that hugs his son and teaches him to fucking play football! I'm never going to be the Father that says the right thing at the right time! I'm never going to be the Father that he deserves!" There it was. It was out. The reason he never wanted a kid in the first place: He would never be enough. Bulma he could deceive, but a child…a child knew. Vegeta sure had. And he had sworn to himself ever since that he would never put a child through the same torture that his Father had put him through. The fact that he had broken that promise eight years ago had been hard enough, but watching it all come true and fall apart in front of him was almost too much to bear. His whole body shook as he clenched his hands into fists.

"Vegeta…" Goku whispered. Vegeta's head snapped around in horror. He had forgotten the idiot was even there, he had been so wrapped up in his anger! Now he had heard the whole damn thing and knew Vegeta's greatest fear, leaving him completely vulnerable. He squeezed his eyes shut, threw his head back, and screamed in frustration. The ground shook around him, his jet black hair giving way to golden, as he released his anger into the night. Minutes passed before he finally stopped. His arms fell to his sides, his hair returned to its original color, and he fell to his knees.

"He loves you Vegeta." Vegeta's eyes narrowed.

"He's an eight year old kid. He doesn't know what love is." He sighed bitterly. "And he sure as hell won't be able to learn from me."

"That's not tru-"

"He probably didn't even notice the difference when I died! Before the terror of Buu became a reality, it probably never even occurred to him that I wasn't around. His Mother was probably more upset than he was." Goku looked on at the Prince in shock. For someone who fought so hard for his pride, Vegeta really thought very poorly of himself. His self esteem was so low, he thought his own son didn't care when he had died! And yet…he had sacrificed himself anyway. Goku's eyebrows furrowed as he glared at Vegeta. How could he possibly think so little of himself?

"Well. I suppose that's why he balled his eyes out when he found out, then," Goku said sarcastically.

The look of shock in Vegeta's eyes sent a deep pain straight through Goku's heart. They weren't just words. Vegeta really believed the things he was saying…he really, truly believed that Trunks didn't care. And even worse, he believed that he didn't deserve his care! It was heartbreaking to Goku. Here he had just helped save the world from the greatest evil they had ever known, and yet he believed he didn't deserve his own son's love! Goku was suddenly more determined than ever. No, my friend, he thought. I'm going to prove you wrong.

Vegeta shook his head. No, this was too much. The only thing worse than his son not caring about him, was his son caring about him. He knew anyone else would find him completely absurd, but it was the truth. Sure, it hurt him to think of Trunks not caring about him. But the alternative was worse. Vegeta knew he would never stand up to his expectations of him as a Father. No, it was better for him to not care, than to care and be subsequently crushed at Vegeta's lack of ability as a Father. Vegeta was used to pain. He could handle it. But his son…

"He was devastated, Vegeta. Of course he was. You're his idol! You're the man he looks up to. You're…his Father."

Vegeta looked away, trying to mask the pain rising up inside him. But Goku knew him better than that. After all the years they had spent fighting, fighting against each other, fighting with each other, and finally, fighting for each other, he had a learned a thing or two about Vegeta. He felt things deeply, and took things personally. He expected people to hurt him, and analyzed every situation to its fullest. He was a loner, determined to not make attachments and live his life in solitude. When he fought, he fought for himself. He was proud, strong, arrogant, and determined. And over the years he had spent on Earth, he had managed to keep almost all of his personality traits intact, save one. While he was still very solitary, spending large amounts of time alone or sitting in silence, Vegeta no longer fought for himself. He had proved that when he'd sacrificed himself fighting Majin Buu. He loved his family, and Goku knew it. But he also knew that Vegeta's greatest fear, even greater than someone hurting his family, was the fear that he would hurt them himself. Sympathy touched Goku's eyes as he looked at his friend's tortured face. He put his hand on Vegeta's shoulder in comfort, and was shocked to find that he didn't push it away.

"He cried very hard," Goku continued gently. "He kept insisting that no one could do that to you, that there was no way a 'stupid monster' could beat the Prince of all Saiyans."

Vegeta couldn't help the brief smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth. So his boy knew he was a prince, huh? Bulma must have told him. Typical woman, telling Trunks his business behind his back. Still, he couldn't help but feel pleased that his son knew at least a little bit of their heritage. Goku noticed and smiled.

"Vegeta…" The prince turned to look at him, his dark eyes betraying his true feelings. Silence filled the room as the two looked at each other. It was odd, really. Kakarot had been Vegeta's arch enemy, the person he envied and hated the most, for years. And yet, in some weird way, it suddenly felt as if he could trust him in a way that he couldn't trust anyone else. He was the only full-blooded Saiyan left, beside himself. He had a wife and a kid, just like him. He had surpassed him and shamed him, nearly destroyed him. But after all the evil things Vegeta had done, after all the pain he had caused and personal loathing he had shown him, here he was, trying to comfort Vegeta, explaining why he wasn't a terrible Father. Vegeta sighed, getting to his feet. Life had always been strange…his third chance was proving to be no different.

"So how did you teach him the technique then?" he asked, referring to the fusion technique. "If he was really that upset, I can't imagine the woman letting him, or the boy wanting to for that matter." Taking his hand off Vegeta's shoulder, Goku looked away, an embarrassed look on his face.

"I, uh…well…," he hesitated. "I…I was a bit harsh on him, honestly." Vegeta raised an eyebrow. He couldn't imagine Kakarot being any harsher on Trunks than he himself had been. "I yelled at him and Goten and told them to stop crying at once. I told them we didn't have time for them to be emotional and…and that that was enough and that they had to be serious and to stop crying immediately." He finished quickly. Goku took a deep breath and held it, waiting for Vegeta to yell at him. He expected him to call him a low class idiot or a circus clown who had no idea how to parent, and how dare he try to interfere and speak to his son that way? But instead, Vegeta crossed his arms and let a smile slide across his face.

"And tell me, Kakarot," he said in a low voice. "Did my son stop crying?" Goku raised his eyebrows, and nodded slowly, stunned.

"Uh, yeah he did, actually. It was really impressive, he just completely stopped! He took a deep breath and looked up at me with this really intense look in his eyes. His eyes were still full of pain, but he stared at me with such a determined ferocity, it was scary!" Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"Scary?" he questioned.

"Well yeah! I mean, not because his willpower scared me or anything, but because…well honestly Vegeta, because he looked just like you!" he admitted.

Vegeta fought hard at the tears that were forming in his eyes. He had spent his entire existence trying to convince himself why he had to be alone. He had fought thousands of battles, both physical and emotional. He had worked so hard to make sure that he never had to deal with attachments like the ones that had scarred him so early on in his life. He had cursed the stars the day he found about Trunks, and only stuck around after Cell because he thought it would somehow hurt his son less. He had kept his distance, letting Bulma do the parenting, while he trained his son and told himself that was the only relationship he ever wished to have with the boy. He convinced himself that he wasn't attached to them, even let a freaking wizard take over his body to prove it! But he had failed. He hadn't fooled anyone, including himself. He loved his son and he couldn't hide it. A smirk pulled at his mouth as he noted that failing had never felt so good.

"Well of course he did," Vegeta sneered. "He is my son."


	2. Letting Go

Vegeta gently shut the window behind him. She had left it open for him. He knew it was for him because of the many arguments that had occurred over him leaving the window open at night. A Saiyan's body retained heat much better than a human's, and he was almost always hot. He smirked as he thought of her rolling her eyes after telling her if she was so cold, he could keep her warm...He knew her opinion on the subject had not changed. And yet, she had left it open, should he decide to come home. He wondered if she had done so for the past three nights. He suspected she had.

Quietly, he walked over to her, standing above her sleeping figure. She looked so serene lying there like that. Her body was tangled in their sheets, all except for one of her small feet. Vegeta's heart ached for her, his body now demanding he lay down with her as much as his exhausted body did. Sighing, he pulled of his clothes off and lay down in his underwear next to her. He laid there for a long time, staring at the beautiful creature lying next to him. He wanted to reach out to her, to hold her, to finally shed the tears he had held back from Kakarot earlier. But something held him back, something always held him back. Sighing, he sat up and made his way to their bathroom.

~~~~~~~~~~

Bulma slowly opened her eyes. She was still exhausted, but she could only seem to sleep a few hours at a time without Vegeta there. His absence was hard, but even worse was her worry for him. He hadn't even tried to return home with them.

He had left the lookout alone, and she hadn't seen him since. He had been through so much...being possessed by Babidi, sacrificing himself and dying, coming back to life and fighting with Goku...She had expected him to be reluctant, but she really didn't think he would just leave. She shut her eyes, trying to will herself to go back to sleep and forget all of it for a few more hours, when she heard a noise. She gasped. She could hear the muffled sound of the shower coming from the bathroom…

~~~~~~~~~~

Vegeta let the hot water beat against his swollen body. It slowly began to relax his tense muscles and his exhausted mind. For the first time in three days, he realized just how tired he truly was. An exhaustion like he had never felt before came over him. He let a long sigh escape his lips as he close his eyes. He faced the stream of water and let it beat against his chest and he felt himself relax even more in its rhythm. He finished washing up quickly, fatigue finally setting in to his bones. Climbing out of the shower, he quickly dried himself with his ki and the little bit of energy he had left. Pulling a towel around his waist, he opened the bathroom door to his room.

She was sitting straight up on the middle of their bed, legs crossed, with a sheet loosely wrapped around her shoulders. He froze the moment he saw her, taking in her unspeakable beauty. Her blue hair was messy from where she had been sleeping on it, and her face slightly flushed. Her body was small and thin, and yet she was so strong. She held herself proudly, something he'd always admired about her. But it was her eyes that struck him the most. The deepest shade of blue one could possibly imagine shone back at his dark onyx ones. They held a mixture of emotions; fear, exhaustion, sorrow, joy…His heart pounded in his chest and he wondered how he had ever thought being away from her was the right choice. Her eyes consumed him and he felt like he stood there for an entire lifetime, losing himself in them.

Bulma took in a deep breath as soon as Vegeta walked into their room. She was always taken by how…beautiful he was. She always thought her mind remembered him clearly, until she saw him in the flesh. He was even more perfect than her mind could seem to understand. Vegeta's body was smooth and brilliantly sculpted, though he was currently tense in anticipation, his fists tightly clenched by his side. His body was so strong and muscular, and yet he was so delicate. He had endured so much in his life, something she had always admired about him. But of course, it was his eyes that captivated her. They were as dark as the night that surrounded them, a deep contrast to her simple blue. They seemed to scream all the words he hadn't said. They told her of his fear, of his shame…of his anger, and of his sorrow. They whispered his lifetime of pain and solitude to her, and she understood. She sat in silence, drinking him in, committing him to her memory, before she finally spoke.

"Vegeta…"she whispered. With speed she couldn't detect, he was suddenly in bed with her. He sat on his knees facing her and with trembling hands, slowly reached up and touched her cheek. He caressed it gently, thinking of all the times he had wanted to do so and pushed it away. Bulma stared at him. He looked so sad stroking her face like that, almost as if he was…afraid. Her eyes softened in realization. That was it. That was what it had always been. He had been afraid of getting close to her, scared of what that might mean. He had been afraid of making attachments, because the first ones he had ever made in his life had been ripped away. And now he had run away this time as well, because he had been afraid. She titled her head slightly to the side and looked into his eyes. She knew better than to ask him things head on, but she couldn't help it. The words left her mouth before she could stop them. "You were afraid."

How this woman could always manage to read him, he would never understand. It usually irritated him. But in this moment, he was thankful for it. It was easier for to hear it than to have to admit it. Dropping his eyes in shame, he nodded silently. He could suddenly feel his heart speed up and his body began to tremble. Emotions seemed to bang on his insides, demanding to be let out. Just tell her, they whispered. Tell her the truth. Forcing himself to look back at her, he took in a deep breath.

"I still am."

Everything came rising to the surface, and this time he didn't stop it. He wasn't sure if he could have anyway. His body was so tired and his heart was aching. Vegeta let his head fall onto Bulma's shoulder, and the Prince of all Saiyans, finally let it go. The tears fell so easily and his entire body shook as sobs escaped his mouth. Every fear, every disappointment, every moment of despair came rising to the surface. His resentment towards his Father, his anger towards Frieza, his frustration towards Kakarot, his fear towards Trunks, his desperation towards Babidi, and sorrow for it all spilled out of him. Bulma wrapped her arms around him and cradled him in her arms. She held him for a while before she gently pulled him down onto the bed. She wrapped her entire body around him and held him for hours as he cried, silent tears sliding down her own cheeks at her Prince's despair.

He fell asleep like that, in her arms. After three days of relentless training and no rest, his body finally gave way to the exhaustion plaguing him and fell into a deep sleep. No nightmares haunted him that night, for the first time in years. He felt safe, lying there in her arms. Bulma watched him drift into slumber, as a small smile spread across her face. She lay awake for a long time, never letting him go.


	3. Like Father, Like Son

Bulma pulled her hair back into a ponytail and secured it with a thick black band. She stifled a yawn as she looked over at the man sleeping in her bed. On the rare occasion that she got up first, he usually woke up when she did, sensing her energy change. Even if he went right back to sleep, over the years she realized that when she woke up, so did he. But today was different; today, he didn't move. She would've wondered if he was even alive if it weren't for his soft snores and occasional grunts.

It had taken her a while after he had fallen asleep for her to. A thousand emotions surged through her, seeing Vegeta in such a vulnerable state. Her heart ached for him to the point where she swore she could actually feel his pain with him. But a large part of what she felt was anger. Not towards him, but all the people who had disregarded him in his life. All the people who had thought of him as nothing, as a lost cause. They had fueled his fire, prolonged his healing, given him confirmation of his belief that he was better off alone. It infuriated her. But she couldn't dwell on it. She had to push on. He had done it. He had shown her his true heart. For the first time in their relationship, and probably in his life, he had been completely open and vulnerable. She smiled to herself as she thought of how proud she was of him.

Yawning again, Bulma knew she would never make it through the day if she didn't make some coffee. Gently closing the door behind her, Bulma stepped out into the hallway, and nearly stepped on her son. Sprawled out on the floor was Trunks, wrapped up in a sheet he had obviously dragged from his bedroom. His arms and legs stuck out in different directions and his heavy breathing mirrored his father's in the other room. She sighed. What is he doing out here? She wondered. She glanced at her watch. 10:08 am. Usually she would've woken him up about an hour ago. Normally, she would've been up a couple hours ago. And Vegeta would've beaten them all, rising before the sun did. But today was different. Kneeling down, Bulma began to rub his back.

"Trunks, sweetie…you're in the hallway, honey." She got a grunt in response. "Trunks, you need to get up. You can still sleep, but you need to go back to your room, sweetheart." Two tired eyes begrudgingly opened and squinted up at her. Bulma waited for the protests and the crazy story her eight year old son was about to give her, explaining exactly what he was doing asleep in their hallway at ten in the morning. But instead, his eyes seemed to want to fill with tears. Even though he was half asleep, something seemed to be deeply troubling. "Trunks…"

"I know he's here." He said simply. "I felt him, I sensed his energy. I know he's here and he didn't even try to come say hi to me or anything and now he must be hiding in there because he hates me," he poured out. Bulma looked at him, confused, and sighed. Apparently paranoia ran in the family.

"Trunks," she said gently. "Your father doesn't hate you, honey. He was exhausted when he got in last night and he went right to sleep! He barely even said a word to me." She hated lying to him, but she knew better than to even mention Vegeta's emotional breakdown to anyone, especially their son. Trunks seemed to digest her words before nodding slowly.

"Oh. Ok, well…um.." he looked away sheepishly. "Can I uh...just stay here? Until he wakes up?" Bulma smiled and sighed.

"Alright, I suppose so. But don't you come crying to me if he comes out here and accidentally steps on you." She winked, before making her way downstairs. Trunks smiled as his mother left. She could be irritating, but she was the perfect Mom in his eyes. He had always seen his family as a little dysfunctional, sometimes even wishing he had different parents. But after everything that had happened with Majin Buu, Trunks had found a new appreciation for his odd family. No matter how weird they were. Smiling to himself, Trunks curled up in his sheet, and fell back into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vegeta slowly opened his eyes, sunlight pouring in from the window to their balcony. He normally would have been up hours ago, but for once, today he didn't care. He pushed himself up off of the bed and smirked. Bulma had been so sweet, tiptoeing around the room, trying not to wake him. She had realized that he woke up with her a long time ago, but apparently today she thought he was too tired. He shook his head. Like he would ever be too tired to make sure she was safe. He had felt a change in the energy, and he woke up. Pulling on shorts, he opened the door, and stepped out into the hallway.

Silently, he looked down at his son who was fast asleep. He hadn't heard what he was saying to Bulma, but he had felt his energy when he'd woken up. Trunks had never slept in the hallway before. He always went on and on about how comfortable his bed was. The only reason he could've been out here…Vegeta couldn't stop the smile that pulled at his lips. Maybe Kakarot was right. For once in his life, Vegeta added to himself, his smile growing with no hint of hostility in his eyes.

In one swift movement, Vegeta bent down and scooped his son up into his arms. Instead of making his way down the wall, he turned around and walked back into him and Bulma's room, closing the door behind him. He gently laid Trunks down on Bulma's side of the bed, and crawled in next to him on his own side. Vegeta laid there watching him sleep for some time, before Trunks wearily opened his eyes. A look of shock crossed over them, before quickly turning to joy.

"Dad?" he whispered. Vegeta smiled. Trunks returned the smile, but hesitated. Every fiber of his being wanted to jump on his Father and hug him tightly, but he didn't want to look like a child. Especially in front of his Father. Plus, he knew his Dad wasn't big on affection, and probably wouldn't be too thrilled about him jumping all over him. His smile faltered as he nodded. "Hey," he said, trying to sound tough. He wondered how he had ended up in bed with his Father in the first place. It had to be his mother. Who else would carry him in here? Vegeta sighed, knowing his son's hesitation was a product of his own reluctance to show affection in the past. He began to curse himself inside, when he stopped himself. No point in hating himself for the past. All he could do was try to change now, in the present. He looked directly at his son.

"Hey? That's all I get? Just hey? Humph. I thought for sure that my son, the son of a Prince, could come up with a better greeting than that." He raised an eyebrow and a huge grin broke across Trunks's face. He managed to contain himself for another moment to ask an important question.

"Can...can I hug you?" Vegeta wondered how on Earth, how in the name of Kami and all the galaxies of the universe, he had gotten so damn lucky. But he supposed it was better not to question it, lest it should go away.

"Son, if you don't, then you will force me to use my incredible Saiyan powers to tackle you, and do it myself." That was all Trunks needed to hear. He tackled his Father and wrapped his arms around him, not caring if he looked like a baby. He could feel tears sting his eyes, as all the emotions from losing his Father came back to him. He wouldn't let them fall, but they were there, pooling up in his eyes. Vegeta held his son close to him, recognizing and memorizing every single second of it. Yes, this was his son. His son, who had won the World Martial Art's Tournament, beating Kakarot's boy. His son, who had put his grief behind him and forced himself to train to fight Majin Buu. His son, who had fused with Kakarot's boy and surpassed even him and become a Super Saiyan 3. His son..

Like father, like son, Vegeta was holding back his own tears. Pulling Trunks closer, he silently thanked the stars, wondering how such a desperate, broken man could've possibly gotten so lucky.


	4. A Much Needed Rest

Bulma stirred her coffee aimlessly, wondering why she had even bothered getting up in the first place. She should’ve just stayed in bed. That’s where her boys were! Well, one was in the hallway, but still. They were both asleep, which is where she wanted to be. She couldn’t remember that last time she had had a peaceful night of sleep. Trunks and Vegeta both had been so freaking excited and anxious about the Martial Art’s Tournament, they had stayed up late hours training, and she couldn’t sleep without them both safely inside. Especially Trunks. She was used to Vegeta staying out late, but not so much with her baby boy. 

After that, there had been so much stress and worry over Majin Buu. And then she had found out about Vegeta…after that, she had died at the hands of Buu as well. But she hadn’t even gotten to sleep in heaven! She was too busy helping Chi Chi try to find Gohan, when he ended up not even being dead in the first place! Then as soon as they were wished back to life and everything was supposed to go back to normal, Vegeta had taken off for three days. She couldn’t sleep without him next to her, and she shuddered to think that she had almost lost him for good. Now that it was all in the past, her body was exhausted. Sighing, she dumped her now cold coffee down the drain, laid her cup in the sink, and dragged herself upstairs. 

She had expected to find her son still curled up on the floor, but he was nowhere to be found. Must’ve finally gone back to his room, she thought. Either that, or Vegeta had woken up. She scowled at the thought of him being awake without even saying hello to her! And after everything from the night before! That man was going to be the death of her. Irritated, she swung open the door, and froze. Laid out in front of her was the sweetest scene she had ever seen in her life. Vegeta was laying on his back, his head turned towards her and his arm at an angle towards his face. His eyes were closed and he looked at complete peace as he took in the deep breaths of sleep. Lying on his chest was their son. He had grown up so much after everything that had happened, but he looked so small next to his Father’s muscular figure. His arms were wrapped halfway around Vegeta’s stomach, as if he had fallen asleep mid hug. Bulma couldn’t help but feel tears sting her eyes. 

When Goku told her Vegeta was dead, she could have sworn that her heart died with him. Despite what she had seen at the stadium where he’d killed all those people, she was still deeply in love with him. He was the epitome of strength to her. He could snap her like a twig, and yet he took such care with her. He was so gentle, and yet in such a strong way. The minute he felt she was upset, he was there. He was always on the lookout, always ready to attack anyone that even thought about threatening her. He could take on anyone; destroy anyone that stood in his way. She even secretly thought that he could defeat Goku, if for some reason he ever attacked her. He was so powerful, and yet that evil monster had crushed him like he was nothing. She shook her head sadly at the memory.She had found herself wanting…to join him. Her immediate reaction when Goku told her was “take me too.” She wanted to be with him, even if it meant giving up her life. She almost couldn’t bare it when she realized that he…might not have gone to the same place as her when he passed. 

He had changed so much. The hot, arrogant man that she had met on Namek and allowed to live in her house before the androids came had been replaced by a kinder, gentler man. (Though the arrogance was still there, for sure.) She smirked as she thought of it. He had changed so much. His heart had learned to feel, to love. But she wasn’t sure if that was enough to replace all the bad things he had done in his life. He done terrible things, killed so many, and destroyed entire races! She shook her head. No, Frieza’s Vegeta had done those things. He had brain washed her prince and turned his heart to stone so that he didn’t care. But her Vegeta, he was different. Still, she wasn’t sure if the universe would see it the same way. But the thought of him in hell was almost too much to take.

If it hadn’t been for Trunks, she wasn’t sure she would’ve made it through that brief period. She knew she couldn’t die, she knew she had to stay on Earth and take care of their son. She smiled as she thought of the stubborn, determined look on his face when they started to learn the fusion technique. She knew he was devastated by the death of his Father, but he forced the emotion away to deal with the task at hand. He sacrificed his emotion for a chance to save the world. He was just a boy, and yet he had been so strong. Just like his Father, Bulma thought. Yes, the two were so much alike. And here they were, together, sleeping, finally getting the rest they deserved. 

Bulma gently pulled the covers over the two, right up to Trunks’ neck, before climbing in next to them. The huge bed easily accommodated the three of them, but they hadn’t slept like this together since Trunks was very small. Bulma lay on her side, facing them, not able to take her eyes off of them. Her body was yearning for sleep, but eyes were transfixed on her boys. She almost jumped in surprised when Vegeta slowly opened his eyes.

He stared at her, but didn’t move. She smiled, knowing he didn’t want to wake Trunks up. He continued to look at her. Bulma raised her eyebrows questioningly, wishing she could read his mind. In response, all she got were his dark eyes staring into hers. But it wasn’t his usual icy stare; there was no scowl on his face. It didn’t seem to hold any pain or any sorrow. There was no anger or bitterness in his eyes, no tension in his face. He simply laid there, watching her. They laid like that for a long time, before the corners of his mouth started to curve upward. 

Vegeta broke into a smile, nothing but pure joy on his face. He reached his hand out to her, and she took it in her own. Her brought it to his lips and kissed it gently, moving slowly so he wouldn’t wake their sleeping son. Bulma returned his smile with her own and squeezed his hand in response. Her body finally relaxed, her mind suddenly feeling tired and foggy. Vegeta stroked her hand with his thumb, as if reading her mind. She slowly drifted into sleep, her smile never leaving her face. Vegeta’s eyes gently closed, following her into a world of dreams. The three of them slept like that for the rest of the day, and through the night. It was an important moment, one they would all remember for years to come, a cherished memory. It was the moment when they went from being a man and a woman with a son, to being a family.


End file.
